Village Voices - We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks

Abandoned homes sitting vacant have long been a plague on every community. With the only residents being raccoons and other animals, they present an eyesore to their neighborhood, but are also a major health risk as they bring a bigger chance of rabies into the heart of our neighborhoods.

The problem is, the law tends to protect irresponsible and bad owners who let these homes fall into a terrible state of disrepair. As long as the owner continues to pay the property taxes, there is little that can be done. In fact, even when they no longer pay those taxes, the process to purchase a proper...